Microelectronic devices such as semiconductor dies or chips are typically contained in packages, sometimes referred to as first level packaging. The package helps support and protect the microelectronic device and can provide a lead system for distributing power and electronic signals to the microelectronic device. Increasing emphasis is being placed on minimizing the size of packaged microelectronic assemblies for use in smaller devices, such as hand-held computers and cellular phones. Minimizing the footprint of these assemblies saves valuable real estate on the circuit board or other substrate carrying the devices. Reducing the thickness also enables the microelectronic device to be used in smaller spaces.
One type of packaged microelectronic assembly which has gained acceptance in the field is a so-called “quad flat leaded” (QFN) package. Older-style packaged semiconductor dies are formed with leads extending laterally outwardly beyond the die and the encapsulant within which the die is packaged. These leads are bent down and passed through or attached to a printed circuit board or other substrate. In a QFN package, the leads do not extend outwardly beyond the encapsulant. Instead, a series of electrical leads are positioned around a periphery of the lower surface of the packaged device. The downwardly-facing leads of QFN packages may be electrically coupled to a substrate using solder ball connections to bond pads on the substrate.
In manufacturing a conventional QFN package, the die is supported on a paddle above the inner ends of a plurality of electrical leads. The die is typically attached to an upper surface of the paddle using an adhesive. Bond wires are then used to electrically couple the die to the electrical leads. The terminals carried by the die for connection to the bond wires are spaced well above the electrical leads due to the thickness of the paddle, the thickness of the die, and the thickness of the adhesive used to bond the die to the paddle. The bond wires define loops extending upwardly from the upper surface of the die, further increasing the height of the structure. While the bottom surfaces of the electrical leads and the paddle tend to remain exposed, the rest of the QFN package is enclosed within an encapsulant, typically a moldable resin material. This resin extends upwardly above the tops of the bond wire loops. As a consequence, QFN packages tend to be appreciably thicker than the height of the die.
One increasingly popular technique for maximizing device density on a substrate is to stack microelectronic devices one on top of another. Stacking just one device on top of a lower device can effectively double the circuitry carried within a given footprint. In forming a stacked microelectronic device assembly, it is necessary to provide electrical connections between the substrate and the upper component(s). Unfortunately, QFN packages only provide electrical connections around the periphery of the bottom surface of the package. This effectively prevents an upper QFN package from being electrically coupled to the lower QFN package or the substrate.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,020,629 (Farnworth et al., the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference) suggests an alternative to a QFN package which permits microelectronic devices to be electrically coupled to one another in a stacked arrangement. This package employs a relatively thick, multi-layer substrate. The die is bonded to the lower surface of a middle layer of the substrate. Electrical leads are carried along the upper surface of the middle layer and the die is wire bonded to these leads. Vias can be laser-machined through the entire thickness of the multi-layer substrate and filled with a conductive material. These vias are electrically connected to the electrical leads, defining an electrical pathway from the electrical leads to a contact pad carried on the lower surface of the substrate. Farnworth's multi-layer substrate adds to the overall thickness of the device, however. In addition, the use of filled vias to provided an electrical connection from the upper surface to the lower surface of this substrate limits the ability to use conventional QFN packaging techniques, which have been developed for high throughput applications.